OnePlus Nord N100 does have a 90Hz display
- OnePlus previously announced the OnePlus Nord N100 and said it had a refresh rate of 60 Hz.
- However, our test device has a 90 Hz display. On that question, OnePlus confirmed that it actually has a 90 Hz display.
- The company wouldn’t stick with the effectiveness of the higher refresh rate due to the phone’s low-end specs.
Last September, OnePlus did a great job in how every single phone it launches now has Fluid Display technology. “Fluid Display” is OnePlus’ advertising language for displays with higher refresh rates, especially 90 Hz and higher.
However, the OnePlus Nord N100 – the company’s first low-end budget phone – was launched with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This was confirmed to us at the time by an official OnePlus representative. That news was strange given that the N100 is clearly a renamed Oppo A53 that has a 90 Hz display. This also meant that OnePlus was breaking its previous promise.
Now the tables have turned. Android Authority bought a Nord N100 in the UK for review and our sales unit has the option for a refresh rate of 90Hz. When asked, OnePlus withdrew its previous confirmation, saying the following:
The N100 is equipped with a 90 Hz display. The actual update rate depends on the settings, applications used and processing restrictions.
OnePlus Nord N100: what’s going on here?
Why did OnePlus say this phone has a 60Hz display and then change its mind? The company didn’t elaborate on this for us, but we have a strong theory.
It is obvious that the OnePlus Nord N100 is a renamed Oppo phone with a refresh rate of 90Hz. OnePlus should then have been able to deliver on its promise of saying that the Nord N100 has a high refresh rate display since all of the hardware is there.
Connected: OnePlus Nord N10 review: nice, but kneecap
However, the Nord N100’s weak specs prevent the high refresh rate from being smooth and effective for all apps. The company admitted this in its statement. OnePlus was then faced with a choice: advertise the phone as a “Fluid Display” device and tarnish the branding if users complain, or advertise the phone as the default display. If this theory is correct, then the company has chosen the latter option.
The bottom line is that the OnePlus Nord N100 has a refresh rate of 90 Hz. When you turn it on, your refresh rates are higher. However, it has not been proven how well this refresh rate works in all apps and usage scenarios, so you may run into problems if it’s on all the time. You have to choose which situation is preferable.
